On this, the first day of the Belgian Presidency of the EU, Grayling is pleased to present you with its Update on the main issues which will be making the headlines over the next months. You can view the update here.

Belgium, often seen as the EU “in miniature”, is going through its own existential crisis at the current time and has still not been able to reach an agreement to form the new Federal Government following elections earlier this month.

How will Belgium manage its responsibilities as head of the EU for the next six months?

How will it work with President Van Rompuy and Baroness Ashton?

How will it ensure continuity with the Spanish Presidency whilst adapting to latest developments?

And just who are the main players in the caretaker government who will be leading the Belgian charge?

This Grayling Update takes you through the issues currently facing the EU and provides an insider guide to the country as a whole.

We hope you enjoy it and please do share with us any comments.

Grayling’s Espresso – May 2010 edition

We are delighted to present you with the May edition of Grayling Brussels’ “Espresso”.

In this edition:

The EU Presidency – another game of musical chairs

The European Citizens’ Initiative

An EU CO2 tax?

How companies can and should be using social media; and

Lieneke Slegers on the role of Discussion Groups.

Just click on the image to the left to start reading.

If you have any comments concerning Espresso please do not hesitate to contact the Editor, Robert Francis – espresso@grayling.com.

Happy reading!

Grayling’s CIRCUM EUROPA – Q2 2010 – Issue 10

Dear Reader,

We are pleased to present you with the tenth edition of Grayling’s “Circum Europa” which comes, as you will see, in a new lay-out to reflect the new Grayling created by our merger with Trimedia and MMD. Our new colleagues from around our European network have made valuable contributions to this edition.

The feature article of this tenth edition covers Greece, and the economic meltdown in the country. The feature article is followed by a section entitled “Latest Political Developments” which provides a short analysis of key news over the last three months. A third section “Upcoming Political Events” focuses on developments in the pipeline and their possible impact. The report is supported by an informative Appendix which provides key political information for each of the 47 countries (government in power, upcoming elections, etc).

In the ten days that have followed President Barroso’s announcement of his proposed new team of Commissioners there has been much debate about the candidates:

Who are they?

Do they have the relevant expertise for their new portfolio?

Are there any skeletons in their cupboards?

What experience can they bring to their new position?

This Grayling Brussels Update profiles each of the candidates individually and provides you with everything you need to know about their past roles in the national administrations, any gossip they have induced in their past lives, and an analysis of whether their country has “won” or “lost” in the allocation of portfolios.

Do you realise that today is an historic day? With the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty the role of the European Union will be changed forever, both at home and overseas.

The questions you should be asking this morning are:

How will the new Treaty change the way the EU institutions function?

How does it impact on my business?

Will my organisation’s lobbying strategy have to be redrawn according to the new political landscape?

To help you respond to these questions and to enable you to better understand the ins and outs of the new EU Treaty, Grayling Brussels has drawn up this latest Update which focuses on what has changed with this Treaty and the impact on business.

Please have a look at our latest edition of Espresso; a brand new design coupled with quality content ranging from the Lisbon Treaty to the upcoming Copenhagen conference. But there’s more, we will in the coming months introduce you to some of our staff, first up is Jessica who reports from Singapore. Enjoy!

We are pleased to present you with the ninth edition of our “Circum Europa”.

The feature article of this ninth edition covers Italy, as Silvio Berlusconi has been making the international newspaper headlines throughout the summer. The feature article is followed by a section entitled “Latest Political Developments” which provides a short analysis of key news over the last three months. The third section “Upcoming Political Events” focuses on developments in the pipeline and their possible impact. Here you will find, amongst others, an article about Germany, where the voters will be called to the polls this Sunday, and fears are rising over another Grand Coalition.

Finally, at the end of the report there is an informative Appendix which provides key political information for each of the 47 countries (government in power, upcoming elections, etc).

Whilst the legislative activity is starting up again in Brussels after a quiet summer break and that José Manuel Barroso has just been confirmed for a second term as Commission President; the race for the key positions in the new Commission intensifies.

As such, Grayling Brussels is pleased to bring you its latest at-a-glance table outlining the most recent gossip on the future composition of the College of Commissioners. It details:

Who has been confirmed:

Who is likely to stay;

Who is likely to depart;

Which nominations are still up-in-the-air;

Who already left.

The latest news relating to the Commissioners are highlighted in red and are also available at Grayling Brussels’ blog “The Lobby.” We will be providing you with additional updates in the coming months as developments continue and official nominations for Commissioners are finalised.

We hope that this update provides you with interesting reading and please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

Today marked the start of the much-awaited Swedish Presidency. With the EU elections now ancient history, a new EU Treaty just around the corner, and a new Commission due in the Autumn, Sweden will have much on its plate as far as the EU institutions are concerned. If this was not enough, it will also have to manage the fallout from the financial crisis and move towards a global deal on climate change by the end of the year – merely two of the many issues set to dominate the next six months.

This revamped Grayling Brussels Update takes you through the major topics likely to dominate the latter half of 2009, as well as providing you with a privileged insight into Sweden, the Swedes, and Swedish business culture. We have also included a brief Swedish language lesson for those of you wanting to brush up on your Swedish during the Presidency.

We hope you enjoy this Grayling Brussels Update, and of course if you have any questions or comments or would like any further information about Grayling Brussels please do not hesitate to contact us.

Last week’s EU Summit marked the swan song of an eventful and at times controversial Czech Presidency. This Grayling Brussels Update brings you up to date with the discussions and analyses the decisions taken and their wider impact on the EU and the next six months.

Supporters of the Lisbon Treaty can breathe a little easier following agreement on the guarantees given to the Irish to encourage them to vote “yes” in this Autumn’s referendum. The identity of the next Commission President is less certain, as despite the Council officially nominating the incumbent José Manuel Barroso for a second term, opposition in the Parliament could yet thwart Mr Barroso’s ambitions to lead the Commission for another five years.

With the Swedes set to take over the EU Presidency from 1 July and with the new Parliament about to begin its deliberations, there is a palpable sense of expectation in Brussels – can Sweden live up to its billing?

In the next 100 days of the Obama administration, much news and commentary will befocused on healthcare reform, energy and environmental policies, and the impact of the stimulus package as it makes its way into the economy. The effects of the banking bailout is starting to be seen as some banks return to fiscal health while others flunk the ‘stress test’ and are required to raise more capital…

From 4-7 June, citizens across 27 Member States will be at the ballot box to vote a new European Parliament into power. Despite the fact that some 80% of national legislation emanates from Brussels, electoral choices are still likely to be linked to domestic politics. Indeed, in the majority of Member States, voters will use the elections as a referendum on their national political hierarchies.

Given that the European Parliament is having an ever increasing say in EU decision-making, the outcomes of these elections are highly relevant, and hence with this update we aim to give you a first idea of what will happen in June. What will the big vote swings in the Member States? What implications will this have for the EP’s political parties? Which MEPs are leaving? And what will that do to the work and policy priorities of the Committees? Many questions to which this Grayling update hopefully provides the answers…

“How open do you want your borders to be?” asks an advertising hoarding on the Place du Luxembourg, the square where young and old Eurocrats come to network, drink, and socialise, basking all the while in the shadow of the European Parliament. The advert – for that is what it is – juxtaposes a castle and a hedge. The image of a hedge is puzzling but the message is clear.

Meanwhile, across the square, the wall of the European Parliament screams “How much should we tame European markets?” Again, the rather bewildering image is of a lion and a household cat sitting harmlessly next to each other…

We are pleased to present you with the eighth edition of Grayling’s “Circum Europa”.

The feature article of this eighth edition covers Germany, where the September elections are expected to put an end to the Grand Coalition the country’s population has been frustrated with over the last few years. The feature article is followed by a section entitled “Latest Political Developments” which provides a short analysis of key news over the last three months. A third section “Upcoming Political Events” focuses on developments in the pipeline and their possible impact. The Report is supported by an informative Appendix which provides key political information for each of the 47 countries (Government in power, upcoming elections, etc).

By the end of this year there will be a new European Parliament, a new European Commission, and – possibly – a fully ratifed Lisbon Treaty.

The year has begun fitfully however, and fears that the Czechs would struggle to take up the mantle of the Presidency in its initial stages have not proved unfounded. The botched reaction to the Israel-Gaza confict, failure to respond adequately to the gas dispute in Russia and Ukraine, not to mention a misjudged “artwork” outside the Council building does not bode well…

We are pleased to present you with the seventh edition of Grayling’s “Circum Europa”.

The feature article of this seventh edition covers Ireland – the country in the EU spotlight after having rejected the Lisbon Treaty last year. The feature article is followed by a section entitled “Latest Political Developments” which provides a short analysis of key news over the last three months. A third section “Upcoming Political Events” focuses on developments in the pipeline and their possible impact. The Report is supported by an informative Appendix which provides key political information for each of the 47 countries (Government in power, upcoming elections, etc).

The word “momentous” is often over-used when one looks back at any given year – particularly the one just lived through.

Yet 2008 has been exactly that. As we move forward to 2009, this Espresso looks back at the disappointments, the main events, the winners and losers, and tries to make sense of 2008 in order to foresee events in 2009.

Such has been the global impact of 2008 – the US Presidential elections, the collapse of the Doha trade talks, the world fnancial crisis, to name but three major issues – that 2009 risks becoming something of an anticlimax…